Best of Kauai in 5 Days

Kauai, the Garden Isle, is the most idyllic, picturesque island in Hawaii. It encompasses everything you would hope to find visiting the Hawaiian islands. The lush, tropical vibes of this quiet vacation spot is all you need for an adventurous, yet relaxing getaway. When you imagine Hawaii, this is the island that you dream of. Welcome to Kauai, where island dreams become a reality. Keep reading to learn how to experience the best of Kauai in 5 days.

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About Kauai

Visiting the entire island of Kauai in 5 days can seem unrealistic. However, the garden isle is fairly small and can be driven around by car in just 3 hours. Shockingly, about 97% of Kauai is uninhabited or protected land. To truly see all of Kauai, you need to hike or fly around it. We decided to explore in both ways! Even with our 6 month old daughter, Maya, we made it happen. The daunting 10 hour flight was not nearly as terrifying as it seemed. We enjoyed every minute of traveling to this wonderful island.

The Flight

This trip was done in May and all of our hikes were very doable with a baby. We lucked out with fantastic weather during the dry season. It only rained one morning, which surprised us, as Kauai is one of the wettest places on Earth. Roam through the greenery and breathe in the fresh air as you discover one of the most beautiful places in the world. Below is our itinerary for exploring Kauai with a little bit of relaxation and a whole lot of adventure.

Kauai in 5 Days – The Highlights

*Destinations we wanted to visit, but ran out of time or did not want to venture with the baby

Let us lead with the fact that we did not get to visit all of the above locations. Unfortunately, in March of 2021, the road to the Hanalei suffered a terrible landslide. There was construction and road closures during our trip, which lead to some delays. This resulted in failure to visit the west coast of Kauai. Hopefully, on your journey, you will not experience any traffic or delays. Visit the Department of Transportation page for more information on current road closures. If you follow our Kauai in 5 days itinerary, you should have time to cover all these landmarks if there’s no unforeseen events. Enjoy!

Kauai in 5 Days Itinerary

Day 1 – Poipu

Day 2 – North Shore + Na Pali Coast

Day 3 – Lihue Helicopter + South Shore

Day 4 – North Shore + West Coast

Day 5 – Poipu (or home base)

How to Get Around the Island

To see all of Kauai in 5 days, you definitely need to rent a car. We highly recommend renting one for sure a short stay. Having our own car allowed us to be on our own timeline. Especially with kids, it is nice to leave all necessary belongings in the car during hikes and beach days. We were thankful to not be lugging around a car seat or extra bottles.

Jeep Life Struggles

Our ideal car to rent was a Jeep, but unfortunately, due to the lack of cars with COVID, all of the Jeeps were taken. Luckily, we recognized what was happening fast and were able to book a hatchback. We would recommend booking a car FAR in advance. Booking at least one month ahead of time would be smart. Most rentals are free cancellation up to 24 hours, so just book it and set a reminder to cancel if needed. We promise, you will not regret it!

There is one main “highway” that takes you around the island of Kauai. Kuhio Highway, or Highway 56, takes you from the North Shore all the way down to Lihue. From Lihue, Kuhio turns into Kaumualii Hwy, or Highway 50, and ends in Kekaha. This is the western part of the island, just passed Waimea. The highway ends due to the Na Pali coast state wilderness park occupying that land. So, you essentially cannot complete a full circle around the island without hiking the Kalalau trail. Pretty amazing!

Where to Stay in Kauai

This is all depends on your itinerary and which destinations you plan to visit the most. We made Poipu our home base at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. They offered an irresistible discount for healthcare workers and was a central spot for our schedule. Not to mention, the property itself is pristine and hard to turn down! The rooms itself were so-so and did not have oceanfront views. To get that, you would have to pay a pretty penny and honestly, we didn’t think it was worth it. The oceanfront rooms are set further back from the water and you still can see people on the property in front of your balcony. It was not worth the money in our opinion, especially if you will spend most of your time out-and-about.

Best home base location options:

• South Shore – Poipu
• North Shore – Wainiha, Princeville, Hanalei, Kilauea
• East Coast – Kapa’a

There are a bunch of hotels in all of the towns above excluding Wainiha and Kilauea. Those are more local towns and you are better off renting a house or villa there. FYI Kilauea is where the rich and famous own homes. It is an awesome little town. Princeville also has some gorgeous villas by the country club. Not very Hawaiian vibes, but still wowed us. There are rentals to be found all over the island with oceanfront views. So, no need to book a hotel to get those waves crashing in your backyard!

You should definitely book accommodation closest to your main itinerary location. To see all of Kauai in 5 days, you don’t want to be too far from your “must-visit” destinations. To each their own, however, we found Poipu to be central to all of our planned spots.

Parking in Kauai

This probably goes without saying, as every tourist destination in high season goes…don’t arrive at peak time and expect easy parking. Almost every destination we visited in Hawaii had minimal parking spots (except if you have a reservation in Haena State Park). Be sure to arrive early in the morning when possible for hikes and before noon for beach days. We were relieved to not deal with any issues finding parking, but we witnessed others waiting for awhile.

Food in Kauai

Eating out in Kauai did not really exist for us, which we were fine with! We tried to avoid bringing Maya inside packed places anyway. Also, we were constantly on the go with our fun-filled schedule, so eating occurred often on the road. Nonetheless, indulging in some of the best food in the Pacific was on our bucketlist and we made it happen regardless of our schedule! We ordered online frequently, which worked extremely well in our favor. Due to COVID (and Hawaii being overly packed with tourists), many of the top local spots had ridiculously long lines. I mean almost every restaurant we went to had a line. We were SO relieved to have ordered to-go ahead. It saved us an immense amount of time, which in the long run, gave us more time to enjoy the island. Who likes waiting in lines anyway?

Unless you plan on a nice sit-down meal with a view, we would recommend ordering ahead of time and getting take out. There’s not a doubt in our minds that you can find a spot to satisfy your hunger and your eyes! We typically brought the food to whatever our destination was and enjoyed it there. We loved every minute of it. You will find our restaurant recommendations in our itinerary below.

Must-Try Restaurants & Coffee Shops

• Kilauea Fish Market $
• Hamura Saimin $
• Koloa Fish Market $
• Tide Pools at Grand Hyatt Kauai $$$
• Eden Coffee $
• Java Kai $
• The Spot $

Kauai in 5 Days

Day 1 – Poipu

Your first full day after hours of traveling should be somewhat relaxing. We stayed at the impressive Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu and boy did it live up to our expectations. Not only did they offer us a healthcare hero discount (thank you!), but the property itself was spectacular. The resort is located on the famous Shipwreck beach and a short walk to the Mala’Ulepi Heritage trail. This was a perfect home base for our plans to explore the entire island. The Grand Hyatt also happened to be very luxurious. Grand was not an understatement!

Tip: for those who plan on focusing more of their travels on the North Shore and the Na Pali Coast, we would recommend staying in Wainiha, Princeville, Hanalei or Kilauea. These towns are ideal for easy access to the Na Pali Coast, Hanalei Bay, amazing beaches, and surfing.

To be honest, we had planned to relax for half of the day and check out the Mala’Ulepi Heritage Trail on the first day. The flight from Tampa to Charlotte to Honolulu and then to Lihue made for a long day. Not to mention, Maya had to adapt to the time change and was up in the wee hours of the morning. Instead, we decided to enjoy the shore, sun and the best Piña Coladas in the world! This made for more of a chillaxing type of night.

Shipwreck Beach

Waves crashed along the sand and divers jumped off of the Shipwreck beach rock. We tried to talk ourselves into the crazy jump, but chickened out! The lagoon pool seemed like a much better idea. It was so refreshing to just chill and float around with Maya.

Our recommendations would be to take it easy the first day. Perhaps, take a walk along the heritage trail for sunset. It is long, but not strenuous at this time of the day. Enjoy the colors of the sky changing and listen to the unforgiving sea crash into the cliffs below you. Then, hit the hay early and get ready for a long, adventurous day 2!

Day 2 – North Shore & Na Pali Coast

The Na Pali Coast

Ahh, the Na Pali Coast. This magnificent beauty is probably what convinced you to visit Kauai in the first place. The majestic, lush ridgeline along the Northern coast of the Garden Isle. If you do nothing else in Kauai, make sure you see the Na Pali Coast. Seeing all of Kauai in 5 days is tough but you have plenty of time for this spectacular place.

The Morning

Good morning! It’s your first full day of adventure on the Garden Isle and trust us, you don’t want to sleep in today! Head towards the North Shore and fuel up for your long day. We stopped in Kilauea for some delicious acaí bowls and coffee from Java Kai. Also, we stocked up on cold drinks, celebratory beers for after our hike, and snacks for the day at the Kilauea Market + Cafe. Oh! And we got some amazing protein balls from Trilogy. All three of these places are in one plaza, so you can park and just walk to each spot.

After stocking up on food, fuel, and drinks, we headed to the Na Pali Coast where we began our morning eating acaí bowls on Ke’e Beach. From Princeville, it’s about a 30 minute drive to Haena State Park. Traffic shouldn’t be too bad if you leave early morning.

How to See It

The Na Pali coast is special because you can only see it by flight, boat or foot. We recommend seeing it by foot and a helicopter tour. The famous (22 mile round trip) Kalalau trail winds through the coast and down to the private Kalalau beach. It can only be reached by foot or boat. Tourists come from all over the world to hike this dangerous trail. You can hike the 11 miles to the beach, camp overnight and then hike back. Or, you can hike to Hanakap’ai beach or the falls. Regardless of your hike duration, you need a permit to enter Hanna State Park.

Getting a permit for the Kalalau Trail: You can find the Haena State Park permits here. Be sure to make an account ahead of time. You will need to apply for a permit at midnight Hawaii time 30 DAYS out from your travel day. Set a reminder and alarm, so you don’t forget. You will need a parking permit and entrance permit if you bring your car. Be sure to fill out form and hit “continue to cart” as the clock changes to midnight Hawaii time. You may have to attempt this more than one day, so be flexible with your travel dates. We were unsuccessful the first day we attempted to book. Tickets sell out within seconds!! Good luck!

The Hiking

Hanakapi’ai Beach Hike

This is the furthest that we hiked on the Kalalau trail and it was incredible. It is a easy to moderate hike and can be done by almost anyone. There were a couple steep portions that would be difficult for someone with bad joints and tough if it rains due to slippery terrain. Other than that, it was a very manageable hike and we did not feel unsafe completing it with a baby. The only part we were worried about was crossing the Hanakapi’ai stream. We originally thought we could avoid it to get to the beach, but we didn’t want to climb across large boulders while carrying Maya on our backs. The rocks were slippery, so be sure to use caution when crossing. We walked over them barefoot and had hiking poles to support us, but you don’t need them.

The trail itself is a 4 mile out and back hike to the beach. It took us about a little under two hours each way. That being said, the parking lot is about a 1/4 mile walk from the trailhead. So, that definitely added to our time, as well as stopping for Maya occasionally.

Hanakapi’ai Beach

The beach itself was awesome! We truly enjoyed taking in the sound of the waves smashing into the sand. There were caves in the cliffside that engulfed water with each current. It felt so special to be at a private beach in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There’s nothing like rewarding your yourself at the end of a hike with a spectacular view.

We hung out for about an hour and then headed back to Ke’e beach to catch the sunset from the water. We jumped in to the salty, cool sea and watched as the sun set. A perfect ending to the perfect day. Making memories with family in one of the most incredible places in the world…there’s nothing like it.

Day 3 -Lihue Helicopter Tour + South Shore

One of the most exciting and memorable parts of our trip was the Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour . Since 97% of the island is uninhabited and we couldn’t hike all of it if we tried, we decided to see the rest from the sky! Flying within the clouds amongst Kauai’s massive ridge mountains and waterfalls was one of the most incredible experiences we’ve done. Even little Maya was amazed by the garden isle’s beauty. Not going to lie, some points of the trip were a little scary when we got close to the mountains. The valleys dropped thousands of feet below us and made our stomachs turn a bit. That being said, we are so grateful that we had the opportunity to do this tour. Especially bringing Maya along with us! She did wonderful on the flight. The helicopter tour was absolutely worth it. Getting to see all of Kauai from the air helped us know where we were in relation on foot. We got to see all of Kauai in 5 days by foot and air!

Blue Hawaiian Eco Adventure Tour

Blue Hawaiian offers a few different tour options. You can book a private or shared charter. We booked the shared Eco Adventure helicopter tour, which fit up to 6 people. If you’d like the front seat, you can pay extra or request if no one else has purchased it. With the baby, we had to sit in the back seat. There was only two rows, so you had a great view no matter what. We would recommend sitting in the window spot for the best photography chances. Unfortunately, the seating arrangements are made by weight, so you may not have much of a say.

If you’re doing Kauai in 5 days, you absolutely need to add this activity to your itinerary! There was nothing quite like seeing the Na Pali coast and where we hiked from above. You could see Hanakapi’ai and Kalalau beach from the chopper. We flew over Waimea Canyon and Mount Waialeale, often called the wettest spot on earth.

Blue Hawaiian helicopter tours have two locations on the island: Lihue Aiport & Princeville. Lihue was very convenient for us and had the better full island tour in our opinion. Be sure to book a heli tour on your Kauai adventure!

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After your flight, head into town and grab some of the best saimin (noodle dish) in Hawaii at Hamura Saimin This locally owned joint was recommended to us by multiple people. Unfortunately, it is cash only and we had an issue with the nearby ATM and did not get to try it. People raved about it and inside was full of locals aka it’ probably damn good saimin!

Maha’Ulepi Heritage Trail

Af the breathtaking helicopter tour, we fueled up and hit the Maha’Ulepi Trail behind the Grand Hyatt. The trail begins at Shipwreck Beach and continues on for about 3.7 miles. It is an easy, but long trail with scenic coast line views the entire duration. We suggest completing this walk around sunrise or sunset time because there is little shade. Pack plenty of water and enjoy the stunning scenery. If you’re brave, jump off of the famous shipwreck rock into the waves below! We loved watching people jump off. No thanks!

Day 4 – North Shore & West Coast

Ok, so Day 4 was a solid plan until the road closure messed us up. The plan was to wake up early, pick up breakfast to take to Anini Beach, snorkel at Tunnel Beach, stop at Koloa Fish Market on our way to Waimea Canyon. Then, watch sunset from Kalalau and Pu’u Kila Lookout. Seeing all of Kauai in 5 days is not easy and will require at least one jam-packed day. Today is that day.

Queen’s Bath

Unfortunately, the Hanalei road closure took away a few hours of our plan. We picked up some killer açaí bowls from The Spot in the Princeville Center and headed to Queen’s Bath instead. Order your açaí bowls ahead of time online. The line was crazy long at 8 AM!

We honestly were so glad that we hiked down to Queen’s Bath, because we weren’t sure if it was suitable to bring Maya. If it hasn’t rained recently, it is certainly doable with a baby! It’s a cool trail and an even more incredible viewpoint. Pack a towel and some snacks and hang with the locals!

The Hike

The hike itself is a relatively easy 0.8 miles to the bottom. There’s a lot of large tree roots and potential mud when wet. Otherwise, it’s not difficult. The majority of the trail is shaded which was really nice. Once you get down to the end, there is no shade. If the tide is low and water is calm, jump in! The actual queens bath is at the end of the rocks. DO NOT swim if the waves are larger than 4 feet. Many people have drowned swimming with in a strong current. Don’t be stupid. The sea is unforgiving. One guy jumped in when we were there and we were shocked. Moments after he got out of the water, humongous waves came thrashing in!

Tunnel’s Beach

Before heading back on Kuhio Hwy, stop at the North Shore General Store for a local plate lunch in the Princeville Center. We shared the chili pepper chicken plate and it was delicious! Also, it was plenty of food for the both of us. We enjoyed our local plate in the car while waiting for Kuhio Hwy to open back up and then made our way back to the Na Pali Coast.

Tunnel’s Beach is known for its snorkeling amongst the beautiful lush coast line of the Na Pali Coast. You can’t find a better backdrop in Kauai when relaxing on the beach (in our opinion!). To be honest, the current was a little strong for snorkeling, so we didn’t last long. There were a few little fish swimming about, but typically people say there are sea turtles that hang out here. We also didn’t walk all the way to the end of the beach. Perhaps the snorkeling was better over there.

We made the mistake of parking too far, at Haena Beach. Try to avoid parking this far down, if possible. The streets along the way say “no beach parking,” but we realized later that a lot of locals parked on a side road that says “Tunnel’s Beach Access” on Google Maps. We wished we had save time on foot and just parked here where everyone else had.

Enjoy some drinks and snacks here as you relax in one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii. Bring your own snorkel gear, Go Pro, and prepare for some strong currents! The water here gets shallow by the rocks and we got caught a couple times in the current.

After relaxing in Tunnel’s Beach, you will be taking the scenic Kuhio Highway to the opposite side of the island, the West shore. Before leaving the North Shore, be sure to stop in Kailuea to check out the fish market and grab some coffee for the road from Java Kai!

You can also stop at the Koloa Fish Market down by Poipu if you have time. Unfortunately, they were closed for Memorial Day and we didn’t have time to go. The market is only open Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM, so plan accordingly.

Waimea Canyon & Waipo’o Falls

Due to road closures, we unfortunately did not make it to the Waimea canyon by foot. Luckily, we got to see this vast beauty by helicopter. If you have time, make sure to head to the west coast and check out the “Grand Canyon of the pacific.”

Waipo’o Falls is a moderate 3 mile trail that takes about 1.5 hours out and back. If you want to get some exercise in and see the beautiful falls, this is a great way to explore the canyon. If not, you can drive around the canyon rim and stop at the viewpoints along the way.

Kalalau & Pu’u O Kila Lookouts

This part of the day we really looked forward to! We planned on catching the sunset from the Kalalau Lookout after visiting the Waimea Canyon. We highly recommend checking out these viewpoints. The photos of the Na Pali coast from these viewpoints look incredible. Next time we visit Kauai, we will definitely make sure yo get to these lookouts. The Kalalau and Pu’u O Kila are about a 2 minute drive from one another. Stop at one and then make the other your spot for sunset watching.

Day 5 – Poipu

Seeing all of Kauai in 5 days is exhausting, but worth it! On your last day, try to relax and enjoy your home base before taking off. We spent our morning enjoying breakfast and coffee by the beach and reminiscing on a fabulous trip. Enjoy the peace and quiet of the Garden Isle, because Oahu is the next destination!

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